The Crow Flies Forever
by Endogetsu
Summary: Death was far different than what Uchiha Itachi thought it would be...but never did he think it was this. Itachi/Sun-Sun.
1. Chapter 1

**Crows Fly Forever**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Naruto or Bleach. Enjoy reading.**

**I got this idea after seeing fics where Itachi goes to Seireitei and becomes a shinigami, but I wondered to myself. What would happen if he went to Hueco Mundo instead, as a hollow? Well let's read and find out!**

Uchiha Itachi watched the last moments of his life flicker away, the last thing he actually saw before the flashbacks of how he lived his life was his otouto's shocked face as he smiled at him with bloodstained eyes.

"Sorry Sasuke…there won't be a next time…it ends with this…" and with a final, non-Itachi like grin, the light left his eyes and he collapsed next to the shocked Sasuke, who had fallen unconscious shortly after, before being collected by Madara and his body being taken by Zetsu, the man who looked half plant, half human.

Some time later…

He didn't know how long he had been waiting there in that spot…was it days? months? years? He didn't know. Wasn't there supposed to be a Shinigami coming to eat his soul or something? These were the thoughts of a long dead Itachi as he was rooted to the spot with a chain shooting off somewhere in the distance attached to his chest. He was clad in his blood stained mesh shirt and shinobi pants, his legs had long become transparent though when he died.

As he pondered the situation, he idly noted the small mouth like things appearing on the chain, eating their way up to where it was connected on his stomach. Thinking, he tried to cast Amaterasu on the chain and hopefully stop the spread but the black flames went right through the chain, as if it were an illusion. He didn't have any more time to experiment as the chain mouths had seemingly quickened their pace, all the way up to the chest plate that covered Itachi's chest.

His eyes widened when a white bone like substance poured out his mouth and attempted to merge around his face.

"No…NO! My memories, I'll never let you have them! You hear me? NEVER!" He cried when he felt like his mind was being wiped. Slowly but surely, his memories were returning, albeit a little slow but he would remember…after all, time lasts forever in death. He stayed still as the material continued to expand and cover his entire body before he disappeared in a bright flash.

A few seconds later, a gate had appeared where Itachi had been and a man in a black kimono with a sword strapped to his side walked out. His light blonde hair was covered with a green and white striped bucket hat. He looked around with a frown, realising nobody was dead, and returned back inside the gate.

Meanwhile…

Itachi felt his vision returning to him. Wait. His vision? He could see again? He silently revelled in the fact even though he was still cursed with his Sharingan eyes. He wondered, was this how Madara felt when he obtained the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan? Seeing again felt fantastic to the Uchiha prodigy. He tried to get up…

And failed, as his body wasn't the humanoid one he was accustomed to. Indeed, from a viewer's perspective, he wasn't human anymore at all. He looked like a monster out of a nightmare. He had a pitch-black avian-like body and a bone white mask that was shaped like a crow with two red tear streaks going down his 'face'. Also, he had the slashed symbol of Konoha on his forehead in red. His eyes were a glowing red, with three swirling Tomoe's spinning inside, seemingly trying to hypnotise someone.

He stretched his new wings slightly, seemingly like he had them all his life. Indeed, shinobi training often required infiltration methods involving animals as spies so one had to be familiarised with their chosen animal, luckily for Itachi, he chose a crow. Taking flight he observed the land around him. It reminded him of the deserts of Sunagakure, for it seemed and most likely was endless. The black night sky contrasting with the white grains of sand slightly reminded him of the Tsukuyomi due its barren landscape. Then he realised something…he could remember his memories! Hell, he was tempted to cry out in joy but his cool, calm personality would never allow such a blow to his pride, so he settled for a satisfactory Uchiha smirk. He had to frown though. His crow body was rather on the tall side, so it made the moving of his new appendages a little rickety, but he got used to them after a while. Soon he heard his stomach growl.

He pondered why he was so hungry all the time, after a few months of flying in this wasteland he had encountered several masked creatures like him, but sadly they lacked any form of intelligence and kept yelling that they would eat him. After a few hard fought battles, he learnt that he had to eat to survive. While he was disgusted with this logic, he had to abide by it and also learnt how some even went after human souls. These kinds repulsed him greatly so he didn't even grace them the mercy of eating them for their power. No human deserved that to happen to him or her…well, except Madara. That bastard deserved the worst for every crime he committed. Now he was getting off track, so back to the matter at hand.

Over the course of a few years, he devoured a numerous amount of his fellow masked brethren, which he quickly learned were called Hollows, souls that died with large regret and emotion. He laughed a little, although it came out as a scoff. Him? Having such emotions? Foolish, just like his foolish little otouto…

He paused at the thought. Sasuke was actually the only person he cared about back when he was alive. His little brother…what ever happened to him? Had he gone to heaven? Reached the place that he piously told him existed when he was younger? He did not know, but he decided not to dwell on the past. That only brought more misery. Suddenly, a thought came to him.

"Perhaps the reason I became a hollow…was because I regretted leaving Sasuke all alone in the world? Was that my reason?" He questioned himself as he idly looked at a group of hollows waltzing through the area towards a forest…wait. A forest? In a desert? Was he getting delirious or was there an ACTUAL forest underneath all this sand.

Yes apparently, for the small group literally dropped into the huge hole exposing the forest. Itachi was tempted to follow them but he suddenly realised something crucial. The forest looked too cramped for him to truly spread his wings and fly. So, without pause, he turned to fly away…and came face to face with…a woman? Well not face to face exactly, as she was standing a little distance away from his position.

Yes, finally he found a goddamned person was here in this barren wasteland! So it wasn't just full of monsters! He observed the woman who was also silently observing him.

The woman was quite tall; she had long blonde hair that for some reason reminded him of the nine-tailed Jinchuuriki, Uzumaki Naruto, that was sectioned into different strands. Her skin was dark, making the hair stand out even more. Her eyes were a piercing green and she had long yellow eyelashes. Her outfit was…rather revealing, as seen when Itachi averted his eyes out of respect and the woman eyed him with carefully concealed amusement. Her outfit was a _very_ small white-cropped jacket that exposed her midriff and part of her 'assets', which covered up to her lower face, concealing something. Her lower half consisted of white hakama pants that exposed her hips and upper legs slightly. The thing that took Itachi's notice more than anything else (except the outfit, which remained imprinted thanks to his seemingly permanent Sharingan…damn pervy eyes) was her rather unusual looking sword. Also, the reiatsu energy she gave off was astounding! Much more than anything else he had faced before. He and the woman kept staring at each other in silence. Itachi liked silence in a number of ways. Nobody to talk his ears off like Kisame…no one to try and piss him off like Deidara…or randomly babble like Madara did under his guise of Tobi…he shuddered at the memory of the orange masked menace…

The woman eyed the Crow hollow with interest. It was very good at concealing its presence and she had only noticed it because she was on a small training trip out into the deserts with her Fraccion and they had gone ahead to the forest of Gillian to train. Suddenly, she spoke out to it.

"I find it interesting that a hollow wouldn't choose to get stronger by going into the forest." She remarked off hand as she had observed the earlier scene of him considering it but refusing in the end. The Crow's reply caught her with slight surprise.

"There is no such things as shortcuts…Power is meaningless if you cannot control it, and I refuse to become a mindless beast…" Itachi replied. "And besides…I wouldn't be able to spread my wings and fly in such a cramped place…" He remarked with mirth as he flapped his wings.

Smiling slightly, although unable to be seen due the coat, the woman nodded slowly before walking off. Just as she turned around, she spoke one more time.

"I hope that you do not die here…your views are rare for a hollow…" She said as she walked away.

Itachi considered what the woman had said. Were there really few hollows with stable minds like him? That made him thankful that he didn't end up like the others he ate. Pausing, he considered again. Perhaps those he ate didn't have control of themselves or lost their wills when they died. That would imply that if he failed to retrieve his own memories and intelligence, he would have ended up like them? Beasts driven by instinct to feed? He shuddered and actually felt glad that he lived on for once in his cursed existence as a hollow. At least he had control of his afterlife. He paused once more (doing that a lot, he noted), did that mean that the woman he had conversed with was the same as him? Would he ever attain a human form again? Many questions needed answers and if there was anything Itachi hated most, aside from annoying chatterboxes, it was complex puzzles. While he was a fair strategist, he usually employed only a small array of them, as he didn't want to get confused if he used a large number of them in rapid succession. Deciding to just put it off for the time being, he flew into the night sky of Hueco Mundo, under the white moon.

The woman from earlier walked through the dense forest of Gillians, the huge miserable trees brought discomfort to even the most emotionless hollows. The beasts that roamed its depths were repulsive, mindless beings that had great power but lacked any superior will to use it. They were a waste of time in her opinion, for what good was power in the hands of a mindless drone such as a Gillian. Their tengu masks informed all of their failure to stand out and only those who's mask differed, which rarely showed up, could weald their immense power successfully to a degree just below Adjuchas…

Breaking from that trail of thought, she happened upon a clearing where her Fraccion were training. All three were female. The first was a tomboyish girl with dark blue hair and mismatched eyes. She was clad in a white sleeveless coat and white hakama pants. Interestingly, she had a horn fragment in the centre of her head. The next woman was wearing a more revealing outfit than herself, consisting of a small top, just covering her assets, armoured bands on her upper arms and forearms and a white short skirt. Her hair was wavy brown covered with a bone tiara and her eyes were a green similar to her own. Her skin colour was slightly darker than hers was though. The last woman was more feminine compared to the others, with a long white dress with sleeves covering her hands and a black fur collar. Her hair was a wavy dark green and her eyes were a pinkish colour and she had three pink dots under her right eye. On the right side of her head rested a three-pronged hairclip extension. They turned to look at her before bowing slightly.

"Harribel-sama!" they greeted the now named Harribel as she nodded.

"I hope that you have improved your teamwork…" with that, the four prepared to engage in combat…

With Itachi…

He had been flying over some ruins in the desert. He often wondered if Hueco Mundo was once a city judging on the architecture that he observed. Soon, he noticed a rather strange dome in the distance, but for some reason, he felt repulsed not to go near. He continued to fly, looking for anything to quell his hunger. He hated that he had to cannibalise his 'brethren', as loathe as he was to admit, but he chose that path by not eating the souls of humans. So he started to climb the ranks.

After a few short months of eating the hollows, he felt his body begin to change. Slowly, his crow form disintegrated and was replaced by the towering form of the Gillian, with the key difference being his mask, which remained the same crow mask with the slashed leaf symbol and red tear streaks. Walking forward, Itachi felt the ground collapse beneath and fell into the black abyss.

When he woke up, he realised that he was in the forest he saw months ago when he was a regular hollow. It morbidly reminded him of the Forest of Death in Konoha what with its dead looking huge trees that blocked out any light.

The next few weeks passed in a blur for Itachi as he consumed Gillian after Gillian. After finishing his final Gillian, he felt his body begin to undergo evolution once more. His Gillian body continued to shrink and break down until he reached a size similar to his first form. There wasn't much difference in his Adjuchas form than his normal hollow form. The only key differences were that his mask became more refined and his body was slightly smaller. He gave his new wings a test flap, and was soon on his way to find others like him…

Itachi watched as a pack of Adjuchas crossed his path. This was it. This would be his test of power! He slowly waited for the right time to attack…there!

He swooped down and drove one of his clawed feet into the mask of a tall humanoid, eliciting a scream from it before it keeled over. The others, a group of 5, looked back in alarm. Finally, one spoke.

"W-what the fuck, asshole? Guys! Let's kill this bastard!" The apparent leader, a mole hollow, yelled. The others, with yells of agreement, charged at Itachi recklessly. Itachi closed his eyes and then reopened them quickly, revealing the all too familiar Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Amaterasu!" He called as the black flames escaped his eye in search of a target. They found it when one of the hollows screamed in pain, causing the others to jolt at their fallen comrade as he was burned alive.

"You bastard!" They cried and moved in on him. Itachi sighed, this would be draining. Closing his eyes again, he reopened once more and said the word that would end the entire battle.

"Tsukuyomi…" The word bled through the area as it melted into the world of the Tsukuyomi. Crosses raised themselves from the ground and the white sand of Hueco Mundo became a pitch-black sea, with the moon shining red ominously above. This, naturally, caused quite a bit of panic amongst the group.

"W-what's goin' on?" The Mole leader yelled in panic.

"The Tsukuyomi…is mine to command…" Itachi's ominous voice rang out. Suddenly, before the hollows, emerged a young man with a katana. This man had long black hair tied up into a ponytail. His attire consisted of a black cloak with red clouds, black shinobi pants, and shinobi sandals. His eyes were what they remembered though, those spinning red orbs of death…

As the man stepped into the Tsukuyomi, his appearance inverted, making the colours reverse themselves. The man seemingly multiplied and surrounded the group, easily dwarfing their already short numbers. One of them spoke out to the terrified creatures.

"…I'll keep cutting you like this…for the next seventy-two hours…" He whispered just loud enough for the group to hear. Screams of pain echoed in distance.

Itachi looked at the fallen group before eating one of them. He only needed to feed on one Adjuchas a day to stop his regression to Gillian so he just limited himself to that. Flying away tiredly, he had no idea that he was currently being observed by forces unknown.

In the halls of Las Noches…

Aizen had been observing the Crow hollow for a while after Harribel reported it…or him he should say. Yes, the man was certainly interesting. Those eyes of his…

Getting off track he remembered. He would have to send out his Espada on recruiting missions to build up his army. Thinking on whom to send after the Crow, he came to a quick decision. He looked to his right.

"Gin…fetch Harribel here for me would you?" He asked the fox faced silver haired man, who just kept smiling as he left to do as ordered.

Meanwhile…

Itachi had recovered and was currently pondering on something. How did his vision not deteriorate when using Tsukuyomi? When he was still alive it left him with a large blur but now…it didn't even take as much energy to draw from. Though he based that as his chakra being converted to reiatsu, he didn't think he would feel up to using it repeatedly. Perhaps these cursed eyes were good for something after all…

Wait…were those footsteps? So…the woman he met before wasn't the only person…Looking to confront these people, he became surprised. Standing a short distance from him was the blonde dark skinned woman from before, although she wasn't alone. Accompanying her were three other women. The first was a tomboyish angry looking woman with a horn on her head, the next was a woman that looked like she came from the amazon, finally the last woman looked like a Japanese noble with the way she held he long sleeved hand over her mouth.

"…It has been a long time woman…" He commented and the blonde woman blinked before suddenly seeming to remember something.

"You were the one I encountered a while back, correct?" Receiving a nod in return. She then informed him of the proposition with Aizen-sama.

Hearing this, Itachi analysed what was underneath the underneath as Kakashi constantly preached. This man, this Aizen, was building some kind of army to combat with a place called Seireitei, a place where purified souls go when they pass on…Seemed a bit pointless to him when it came down to it. If it were him, he would plan in secret and execute it without the shinigami knowing. Such was the way of how a shinobi would operate…but he wasn't a shinobi any more was he? Sure, he could still use taijutsu and his Sharingan, but a majority of his abilities in life would have to be recreated through reiatsu in this world. Coming to a decision that wouldn't hopefully bite him in the ass, he answered.

"Very well, lead me to this 'Aizen-sama' if you please." He followed the group of women through the desert, idly listening to the amusing bickering of the other three women.

"All I am saying Apache, is that you shouldn't be so quick to anger…as proved when the Gillian almost ate you, weakling." The longhaired dress wearing woman said to the tomboy, which prompted outrage.

"Shut it Sun-Sun!" Apache yelled to the now named Sun-Sun.

"Both of you stop arguing, I'm getting a headache." This came from the amazon woman. Apache looked at her and sneered.

"Oh? How can you get a headache when you don't have a brain, Mila-Rose!" Apache mocked, causing Mila-Rose to run up and begin another round of arguing while Sun-Sun went to talk to Harribel.

"Harribel-sama…Are you familiar with this hollow?" She gestured to the airborne Itachi, who was gliding across the desert.

"We've met before…back when I took you and the others to the Forest of Gillians." She said. Sun-Sun just continued to observe the hollow in the air as they made their way back to Las Noches.

**END OF CHAPTER 1**

**Okay…I was getting kind of tired always seeing Naruto end up as a hollow. I mean, it's not like he's the only character that can be used. I figured that Itachi would be a good candidate. Itachi will be the ONLY character appearing from Naruto unless there are flashbacks. The pairing for this is Itachi/Sun-Sun but I can't write a lemon to save my life, so I'll just put it under T rather than M. **

**Thanks for viewing and please review!**

**Endogetsu**


	2. Chapter 2

Note: Sorry, but this fic will be updated at an irregular rate as my attention is currently focused on my other two fics, Temptation of Aromatic Grass and Dead Bone Pulse. Don't get huge hopes for this yet.

Chapter 2: First mission of a new Arrancar.

Itachi had split off from Harribel and her fraccion and had to head to the room where Aizen was waiting. After seeing a group of other hollows gathered in the crowd, Itachi moved to try and converse with them.

"What's happening here?" He questioned and a rhino hollow turned to him.

"I heard that the guys who live here in Las Noches can give hollows the power of Shinigami!" He yelled out excitedly. The others were literally bouncing in anticipation. This gave Itachi a confused look because that wasn't mentioned when Harribel and her fraccion confronted him. He had never knew of these Shinigami existing…if so then why didn't one come for him?

Soon, a dark skinned man with a visor over his eyes entered the room and called for the group to line up and wait until being escorted one by one by some of the other people dressed in white. Pretty soon it was his turn when a man in white escorted him to wherever the others disappeared to. The others behind him looked like they were losing patience and some had walked out the room in anger.

Entering the eerie dark room, he noticed a slick-backed brown haired man placing his hand over a box with a strange jewel inside. He closed his eyes and smiled.

"Please…take your place in front of the Hogyoku." He said. Itachi, seeing no reason not to, took a few paces to the front of the orb. The man smiled again.

"Your rebirth begins today, our new family member…Please accept the Hogyoku…" And with that Itachi's world went black.

Inside Itachi's mind…

Itachi looked around his carefully constructed mindscape…and an image he never wanted to see again. The remnants of the Uchiha clan house were a rotting slum-like area covered in blood. Shop windows smashed in and the stale corpses of the ones he killed that night littered the floor. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a kunai flying through the wind, landing a little next to him. A shadowy figure stepped out from the darkness.

Itachi gasped and went wide-eyed slightly before schooling his expression. Before him was…himself. Well, when he was alive and human anyway and covered with blood. Much to his chagrin, his copy was wearing an Akatsuki cloak and ring. The copy looked at him for a while before speaking.

"You…you have entered your mind once more…Uchiha Itachi." Spoke the copy. "You can now fully see that which has been blinded to you for so long…namely me." He said and Itachi suddenly realised that the world he was in was frightfully similar to the Tsukuyomi, only without the crosses littering the area. It still had the inverted landscape in which the skies were an unnatural red and the buildings were black and white. Itachi levelled a gaze at his alter ego.

"So…you say that I am no longer blinded to you, but the question remains…what exactly are you?" He asked with narrowed Sharingan eyes and the copy smiled a little.

"I? I am you…your blade to be precise." With that, he pointed to the house of the Uchiha clan. Itachi grudgingly took steps inside the dark bloody halls of the fallen clan's home and continued walking under the guidance of his copy to the room where his sword would be. He cringed when the copy and him stopped at one particular room…the one where he killed his own parents, Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto.

The copy opened the creaky door and Itachi winced. The bodies of his parents looked like they were frozen in position, with both tied together back to back. Taking his eyes from the scene, he turned to where the copy was standing…and what was next to him. His eyes widened in awe at the sword that was the size of a ninjato. The blade was red…as in covered-in-blood coloured red. The pommel was shaped in the form…of a red cloud. He tensed and continued observing. The handle of the sword was wrapped with black material and, as a decoration, a small black skull sat on the bottom, reminiscent of Kisame's sword decoration. He looked at the copy with suspicion.

"The Akatsuki…will always have a piece of your past…regardless of whether you wished for it or loathed it." The copy said. "…And the blood coloured blade represents the guilt you have for your crime against your clan, and…your little brother." This caused Itachi to snap his gaze from the sword to him, his eyes still wide at the description. The copy continued.

"You may not know it's name for now, for the sin of guilt you currently bear is too great" The copy said with a sad smile then turned to him. "…Farewell for now, Uchiha Itachi…I will always be waiting for when you return." With that, Itachi's vision faded and he blacked out.

Meanwhile…

Aizen Sosuke was pleased. He had managed to get a good haul for his army today and soon more would come. The Crow hollow would be the last today, as he was feeling exhausted and some of his Espada and their fraccion were getting irritated at doing nothing but watching.

He smiled when the human shaped cocoon sitting in front of him popped open, and from within, new life was born. The figure was male…that was certain because he was currently nude. His hair was black and long, tied back into a long ponytail. His mask remnant from his days as a hollow was a white bone headband and a slashed symbol in the middle. Looking closely, he saw a red tear trail going down the mans left eye, ending below his chin, looking like he was crying blood. Another point of interest was his black painted finger and toenails. The young man lifted his head to see into the eyes of Aizen and, for once, Aizen looked a little surprised.

The eyes of the man were red, with three little Tomoe's spinning lazily. Those eyes were unnerving and felt like they were seeing into your soul…and judging you unworthy of his presence. Regaining his bearings, he prepared to welcome the new arrancar to his army.

"Welcome, brother. You are currently the last on our list today…will you introduce yourself to your new brothers and sisters?" He asked.

Itachi was slightly baffled. He had a human body at long last! And it seemed that everything was in perfect working order, other than slight stumbling. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the sword from his dream, only it was sheathed in a red sheath. Deciding to humour the man who had just addressed him, he announced himself.

"I…am Uchiha Itachi." He said, as a soft breeze rustled his hair, causing him to brush it out of his eyes. Aizen smiled.

"Welcome, Itachi-kun…to Las Noches." He welcomed and Itachi couldn't help but feel the foreboding feeling welling up inside as the man smiled that fake happy smile.

He was guided to his room by the visor wearing dark skinned man, who left after a muttered farewell to the Uchiha. Looking around, he noticed that it was white…glaringly so and caused him pain just looking at it. Seeing the wardrobe, he moved to inspect the uniforms…which were white as well…great. He picked out a pair of the standard arrancar footwear, and a pair of white hakama pants. Looking for his upper half, he was thankful that they included his favourite mesh shirts, these in black. He flinched slightly at the final article of clothing. A huge white cloak that covered the lower face and went down past the knees. It was trimmed out with black lines, which ended up slightly similar to an inverted Akatsuki cloak minus the clouds. Sighing, he slipped it on, leaving a few buttons at the top undone so that he could hang his left arm outside the sleeve.

"One such as I…isn't suited for such a pure colour…" He looked up at the ceiling and sighed again, before leaving the room.

After wandering around for a while outside in the plains of the desert of Hueco Mundo, he often had small flashes of memories he found hard to remember. Only small glimpses though, such as a snake man, a giant god like being called Susanoo, and other lesser details.

He idly noted that a group of low level hollows were speeding towards him, most likely thinking he was a good meal. Turning around, he unleashed an Amaterasu at the first, causing it to scream and the others to back off as they watched their leader die. Looking at the damage, the group consumed their fallen leader before fleeing…traitors. He hated that word because he was branded one, for killing his pathetic clan, putting his pathetic little brother in Tsukuyomi, and for unwillingly abandoning the home he loved…

Shaking his head at the negative thoughts trying to take root, he moved on into the desert, to complete his assigned mission from the man called Aizen. He shuddered a little, that man felt very off to him. It wasn't just his jovial and fake caring attitude; no he dealt with those kinds before when he was still alive like Orochimaru's servant, Yakushi Kabuto. No, what bothered him greatly was the fact that the man's chak- no reiatsu was so disgusting and dark…it reminded him too much of Uchiha Madara for his liking.

That name brought a great anger within, which briefly showed on his face as a twitch in his eye and a frown. What was that murderous psychopath doing now? Hopefully the fool would have failed in whatever dastardly goals he had planned for the world and hopefully would rot in the deepest pits of Hueco Mundo.

He lightly shook his head to clear those negative thoughts. No…he had no time to be thinking about Madara, for that was in the past. Now, this was his future, one fitting for someone such as him. For now, he would remain loyal to this Aizen, but as it was once said by a great man, 'You can buy a man's skills, but you can never buy his loyalty…'

He never knew who said that quote but that was one of the rules that he, as well as other shinobi, followed devotedly. Yes, to blatantly assume he would be trustworthy to this Aizen just because of a small boost of power he gave him was foolhardy and it would eventually prove a fatal mistake for the man who had placed his unneeded trust in him.

Stopping to think about Aizen, he recalled when he was undergoing the conversion into an Arrancar. That small sphere in the box Aizen was using was calling to him, willing to offer him unlimited power…he shuddered. That thing had to be destroyed, it was far too dangerous to allow it to exist. Of course he would be deemed insane by a majority of the other Arrancar and hollows not to accept the power it offered, but he was different from them, he had no need of such foul, ill-gotten power, there were no shortcuts.

The problem was getting around the other Arrancar and traitor Shinigami to obtain and destroy the gem…he looked up to the dark sky, observing the moon as it glowed a dark red as his eyes were fixed upon it, he smiled slightly. Yes, the moon was pleased…

As he continued through the barren desert to complete the mission, he idly went over it in his head. Aizen had ordered him to locate a certain hollow, one that had proved allusive yet dangerous to those trying to find it…foolish, his eyes would see all.

As his Sharingan eyes gazed through the dense jungle of the Forest of Gillians, he narrowed at the faint trace of a reiatsu signature that could only belong to his target. Just as he was about to step forward and locate the mark, an insane burst of foul reiatsu erupted through the area, making Itachi's eyes widen at the seemingly unreal amount that was being pumped out. Suddenly, a strange sounding laugh broke through the area from behind him. He turned around to confront his target.

The target was humanoid in appearance and covered by a ragged brown robe, which was exactly what he had been sent to hunt for…a Vasto Lorde hollow, the highest of hollows in the power scale. Aizen had been sending not only him, but some of Espada and their fraccion on similar missions. The one in front of him was that of an elderly slouched old man with a long beard. The old hollow looked at Itachi in amusement.

"Well well! Another hybrid here to entertain me! You know sonny I'm not really impressed with you so called Arrancars." The old man said as he stroked his beard fondly. "I wonder…will you be able to give me death?" Here Itachi looked wide-eyed a little.

"You…seek death?" The old man nodded grimly but still maintaining a smile. "If that is what you wish…" With that Itachi charged and clashed blades with the old man. Itachi took a moment to observe his opponent's sword.

Well, sword was a rather inappropriate word to use to describe it. It looked more like a staff if anything, that made of steel and looked more efficient to use as a battering club than any blade. This would certainly be interesting…Suddenly, the old man seemingly whistled in appreciation of Itachi's red bladed sword.

"That…is a rather unusual sword you've got there, lad." He then smiled viciously under his beard. "But…is that fancy little toothpick enough to combat with my club?" Suddenly, the man exited the deadlock of swords and fired a brown cero at Itachi, whose excellent speed managed to easily allow him to dodge the blast. Suddenly, Itachi ran up to the surprised Vasto Lorde, who was at the time shocked at Itachi's speed, and gave a diagonal gash across the old hollow's chest, eliciting a grunt. Suddenly, the old man slowly raised the club above his head and cried out.

"**Crujido, Cocodrilo**! (Crunch, Crocodile)" With that, a glow surrounded the old man and his weapon causing Itachi to shield his eyes slightly. As soon as the light died down, he gazed at his opponent and his eyes showed brief surprise at the man's new form.

The man's new body became a large red four legged, reptile-like creature with three sharp looking tails waving lazily behind it. Its face was long and scaly, with huge gaping jaws that looked like they could chomp through metal. A long white beard dangled under its jaw, making it the only thing reminiscent to the old man. The thing smirked at Itachi.

"Hah! Bet you're surprised eh boy? You thought it was just a regular club? Oh no, for you see, much to my disgust, I am a hybrid also…just like you." This news startled Itachi and the Crocodile laughed. "I suppose I should tell you then, that I was once a member of that Shinigami dog's forces here…but I managed to see the underneath of his facade, just like you have judging by your eyes." The creature's pitch black eyes gazed into Itachi's red orbs.

"…That man is just using the hollow's for his own personal game at playing god." It snarled. "…And I refuse to be apart of it any longer!" With that, the Crocodile charged at Itachi with its tails, with one managing to surpass his speed and give a gash to his side, causing a grunt. The creature laughed.

"Come on laddie! Lets up the game even further before these old bones cant take it anymore!" With that, the creature opened it's gigantic gaping maw and charged a mud coloured, and much larger, cero.

"Try getting out of this boy! CERO!" With that, the blast of energy gathered in the Croc's mouth erupted out, sending a beam that promised certain doom to its unlucky victim. Itachi, however, was not going to be this victim for he, in a moment of sheer brilliance…used a kawarimi on the unsuspecting Crocodile, placing him in the centre of its own attack and him in the croc's previous position, making it look around comically before turning around slowly.

"AARRRRRGGGHHHHH!" The thing screamed as its own cero melted through its thick scaly hide. As the dust cleared, Itachi gazed at the limping hollow.

"I…wont…lose…to…an…UPSTART BRAT!" With that, he started to glow and, before Itachi's eyes, the Crocodile seemingly healed itself in a regenerative manner. It smiled at Itachi.

"This…is my own personal skill I like to call Sebek's Blessing." He explained. "…Unlike normal hollow regeneration, as long as a piece of myself exists, I can choose to come back, thereby prolonging the ancient cycle of endless rebirth." It then paused, seemingly thinking to itself for a moment.

"Oh yes! How forgetful of me! I haven't even given you my name have I? I must be getting slow in my cursed old age…Please forgive my lack of manners, I…" With that, it leapt into the air at a surprisingly high speed before reappearing above Itachi, poised for a belly drop.

"…Am Mercador Le Granzer!" With that, Itachi was forced to move quickly to the side as the crocodile crashed into the spot where he was once standing. Itachi gazed impassively.

"Very well, Mercador Le Granzer…I am Uchiha Itachi, your executioner." With that, Itachi charged once more at the crocodile, preparing to deliver a fast strike…Only to be stopped by the croc's hard skin. It then chuckled at him in amusement.

"My hierro is very strong boy, and it was only through me dropping my guard were you able to harm me earlier." Itachi cursed, he would have to use that after all. Before the croc's eyes, blood started to pour from Itachi's left eye, going over the tear mark on his face. Suddenly, Itachi's eyes changed from the three little black dots into a three-pronged pinwheel. His cold voice rang out through the area.

"…**Amaterasu**!" With that cry, pitch-black flames erupted from where Itachi was standing and crashed into the startled hollow, who screamed in agony and tried to use his healing ability to stop the flames, only to discover that it wouldn't work, causing him to panic. Suddenly, Itachi appeared in front of the croc's face, with only his eyes viewable as a black shadow coated the rest of his body and face from view. His bloodstained tear streaked eyes looked quite menacing from that point of view.

"…Forgive me." With that, Itachi raised his red bladed ninjato above his head, preparing to deliver the final blow. The croc hollow looked a lot older now it's abilities were rendered useless. It smiled sadly.

"You…are a perfect warrior, my boy." It coughed a little as it returned to a weakened looking version of his old man form, who looked like he was on his last legs. "You…have the power to end the cycle and kill that Shinigami, with those eyes of power, I can already tell that you are destined for greatness." The coughing became frequent and blood started to escape the old mans lips, dribbling down the side.

"My one regret…is being unable to see that smug bastard get his ass kicked." He rasped and Itachi smiled sadly, knowing what he would have to do now. He raised the sword once more as the old man started to get teary eyed.

"Finally, for too long have I existed here on this horrid plane…I can finally see them, my family, once more…" With that, Itachi brought down the sword, quickly and mercilessly, cutting the mans throat and watched as the light finally left his eyes and his cycle of rebirth was over. Itachi turned away from the dead old man, whose body had started to disintegrate into the air.

"…Farewell, Mercador Le Granzer…may your journey to the true afterlife be peaceful." With that, Itachi closed his eyes and walked away, seemingly angry at taking an innocent life, hollow or not. Aizen would not be allowed to continue his tyranny…but for now, he had to get stronger if the rumours about the man's strength were as true as they say. Yes, he would have to get much stronger.

Returning to Las Noches, Uchiha Itachi had reported the death of Mercador Le Granzer. This mainly had Aizen say it was a minor inconvenience, to the silent rage of Itachi. This man was despicable. At least Madara had some semblance of respect for the dead even if he hated them. One only had to look at the Shodaime Hokage, Hashirama Senju for that. Shaking his head a little, he headed back to his quarters in the huge palace.

Lying on his bed, he was reading over the mission details that he would be undertaking tomorrow. It would seem that he was to accompany an Espada and their fraccion on a mission to Karakura town in the real world to gather information on Shinigami presence in the vicinity.

Apparently, according to some of the other Arrancar, Karakura town held a great necessity that Aizen needed to ensure his victory…This would have to be pondered in the near future, as he had to seemingly remain loyal to the man and then strike when he least suspected it.

**END OF CHAPTER**

**Okay, In my honest opinion it is slightly difficult to make this work. I mean, with Naruto you can mess up his character as much as you want but with someone as emotionally detached as Itachi it means that any relationship he will have will be slow and gradual. Sorry if the fight was a little short but I wanted to get some action in. Also, the reason that Mercador lost was because he didn't take Itachi seriously and we all know when someone doesn't take Itachi seriously (lol). Also, note that he also lost because Itachi's shinobi instincts allowed him to perform dirty moves like the kawarimi so no, he isn't a god character, just good at exploiting the weaknesses in others.**

**Look forward to the next chapter and many thanks,**

**Endo.**


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